Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday assured Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ayodhee Prasad Yadav that the government would declare the dates for local level elections by February 19 (Sunday). 

During his meeting with PM Dahal, CEC Yadav had drawn the attention of prime minister to the difficulties that the EC could face in holding local level elections in May-June if the dates are not announced in four-five days. 

“PM Dahal has assured me that poll dates will be announced by February 19,” Yadav told the Post. 

On February 6, the EC had written to the government, asking the latter to announce poll dates at the earliest. 

The meeting between PM Dahal and CEC Yadav on Wednesday follows an agreement among top leaders of major political parties on Tuesday night to announce poll dates at the earliest—by February 19.

If the government plans to hold local level elections in May-June, the EC will have around three-four months to do the groundwork, but for that it will need the exact dates. 

The EC in its letter to the government has proposed elections in two phases—on May 15 and June 4. 

“The election body ‘can’ successfully conduct polls in May-June, provided that the government announces the dates by February 19,” said CEC Yadav, hinting that further delay in declaring dates could create some difficulties. 

Yadav also told the Post that he had urged PM Dahal to provide the EC the report prepared by the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC) at the earliest. 

The LLRC is yet to be endorsed by the Cabinet. After Cabinet approval, the LLRC report will be published in Nepal Gazette, following which it will be implemented.